Fall and Winter Sports will Bring Mix of Experienced Players and Newcomers
(Jeanine Leech)
The fall and winter sports seasons at Chatham University this year will bring a mix of experienced athletes, including multiple men’s basketball players returning after a PAC Championship win, and fresh faces, including 16 new women’s hockey players.
Coaches interviewed by Pulse@ChathamU said fans can look forward to new athletes coming into their own, returning players building their skills, and plenty of energy on the court, pitch, and rink. These interviews have been edited for clarity.
What are you excited about when you look at the upcoming season?
David Richards, Men’s Basketball Head Coach: We're very excited to get the season started. We have a great mix of talented returners and newcomers that provide us with a variety of skill sets, experience, depth and versatility.
What are the key matchups on your calendar this season?
We have some great matchups to start the season. We're hosting our first Tip-Off Classic. We open up with Carlow University (Nov. 10) and we'll play Mount Union in our second game (Nov. 11). Mount Union lost in the NCAA Division III National Championship game last year and will likely be a preseason top ten team. We'll head right into PAC play against two very talented teams, Saint Vincent (Nov. 15) and Washington & Jefferson (Nov. 18).
What can students and spectators look forward to when they see your team play this year?
Senior Simon Boyer, Geoff Helm and Juniors Blaine Gartley and Isaiah Smith played major minutes in our PAC Championship run. We'll look for them to provide great leadership to start the season off. Last year, Boyer was named Honorable Mention All-PAC and Gartley was the PAC Tournament MVP. Smith led the team last year with 79 three-point shots.
(Phil Pavely)
What are you excited about when you look at the upcoming season?
Eden Bloom, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Head Coach: As for the season, I am excited and hopeful as we head into the fall! We’re coming off of the most successful seasons of indoor and outdoor track, and have been able to return nearly full rosters from last fall. A few key runners are healing some injuries, but collectively our team is faster coming out of camp than we were last year. Our athletes have been super supportive of one another, and I’m looking forward to watching them continue to support and challenge their teammates as we continue into the fall.
What are the key matchups on your calendar this season?
We won’t be competing at home this fall, but we will compete at Robert Morris on Saturday, Oct. 14 if our local Cougar fans want to come support!
What can students and spectators look forward to when they see your team play this year?
We have returning junior, Clare Erwin, who placed 6th at PAC Championships, and 26th at DIII Mid-Atlantic Regionals earning her a U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region honor. She received this honor again in the spring for her times in the 10K.
(Jeanine Leech)
What are you excited about when you look at the upcoming season?
Betsy Warren, Head Women's Soccer Coach: We are a young team this year, but close knit. I am excited to see how [the players’] connection translates to their performance on the field and looking forward to seeing new players in new roles come into their own this season. The team is excited to build and grow with each game — leaning on the experience of our returners and seeing how new talent fits into the mix.
What are the key matchups on your calendar this season?
We have put together a challenging out-of-conference schedule to start the season to best prepare us for the competitiveness of PAC play. It is great to see early how you stack-up against good competition. Every game in the PAC is an important match-up for us.
What can students and spectators look forward to when they see your team play this year?
While there may be some new faces, anytime we step onto the field, we are there to compete.
(Jeanine Leech)
What are you excited about when you look at the upcoming season?
Bill Connelly, Men’s Ice Hockey Head Coach: With a new coaching staff, we are excited to positively impact our athletes' everyday life on campus at Chatham. The players are excited to welcome our 12th nationally ranked recruitment class of first years into a growing culture, and they are excited to continue to work towards a season where we hope to sustain success in our conference and aim to host a home playoff game at the Hunt Armory.
What are the key matchups on your calendar this season?
On Nov. 10 and 11, we host Utica University for the first time at Hunt Armory. Utica finished the 2022-23 regular season ranked number one in the country for Division III, and they were the UCHC Conference champion. Jan. 19 and 20, we host Stevenson University also for the first time, which is a regional and conference rivalry.
What can students and spectators look forward to when they see your team play this year?
We play and coach with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement, and we feed off the echoing cheers from fans at the Hunt Armory.
(Jeanine Leech)
What are you excited about when you look at the upcoming season?
Michael O’Grady, Head Coach, Women’s Ice Hockey: I am excited to start to work with our players this year, we have a great group of returners and are welcoming in 16 new faces. I know this will make for high-tempo and competitive practices, while we focus on blending our experience and youth together and developing a deep roster full of talent. For the past three seasons, we finished in the semifinals of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference, and this year, we are looking to take the next step forward and compete for the championship. I am also looking forward to continuing our relationship with the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Hunt Armory, which served as our home rink last season. Having such a unique opportunity to play in the historic building has been a great experience for our players and has also provided us with great opportunities to give back to the Shadyside community in helping [Learn to Skate] programming that the Penguins Foundation runs out of the Hunt Armory.
What are the key matchups on your calendar this season?
Our conference has grown in competitiveness, and we have to remember to show up every night as all of our UCHC games are going to be battles this season, but we certainly have a few games circled on the calendar:
Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 – Our home opener versus Stevenson, who always provide an exciting match up.
Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 – We host the UCHC defending champions, Nazareth, and I know our players and myself have this circled after losing to Nazareth in the UCHC semifinals.
Jan. 13 – Wilkes will be a great afternoon game for us, and we will be working to fundraise money in support of cancer research.
What can students and spectators look forward to when they see your team play this year?
Our program plays a fast paced, physical style, and our fans will see that from us on the ice. We want to be relentless on the puck while providing our players the opportunity to be creative and have fun playing the game we all love.
Mick Stinelli is a Writer and Digital Content Specialist at Chatham University. His writing has previously appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and 90.5 WESA.